The present invention relates to dental floss devices, and more particularly to dental flossers having a handle and a disposable dental floss holder.
A dental flosser includes an easy to use handle and a disposable dental floss holder that attaches to one end of the handle. The handle portion resembles the handle of a toothbrush, and includes a head portion that receives the dental floss holder.
An example a dental flosser is shown in U.S. patent application 2003/0098037 to Dougan et al, published May 29, 2003. Dougan shows a device (1) with a handle (2) having a head (3), and a disposable dental floss holder (4) that attaches to the head (3). The dental floss holder (4) includes a base portion (20) and a pair of jaws (21) extending from the base portion (20) for holding a length of dental floss (5). The dental floss holder (4) snap-fits into the head (3) by fitting the base (20) into a vertical notch in the head (3).
Unfortunately, Dougan suffers from disadvantages. For instance, if too much pressure is applied during flossing, the dental floss holder could accidentally disengage from the notch in the handle, making it difficult to floss and potentially injuring the user. Attempts to increase the force required to disengage the dental floss holder have the undesirable side effect of making it harder for a user to remove and dispose the dental floss holder after use. In addition, slight tolerance variations in the formation of the dental floss holder or changes in the size of the holder after formation (such as warping) can make it difficult to maintain tension in the dental floss—which is necessary for the device to function properly.